The smoke of the recent skirmish still clung to the air, the bodies of insurgents strewn across the plaza as stormtroopers hurried to secure the area. Kal’Sarha’s underbelly had revealed its teeth, but the bite had been weaker than Cassandra expected. They were organized, yes, but still scattered and desperate—a doomed resistance clinging to the hope that they could challenge the might of the Empire.

  Cassandra stood amidst the wreckage, her lightsaber extinguished, her expression cold and calculating. Her mind, however, was elsewhere. The vision of the white-haired girl gnawed at her thoughts, pulling her away from the present. Each time it appeared, the girl was clearer, more distinct, like a shadow steadily stepping into the light.

  But why?

  Na’la, ever-attentive, watched her master carefully. There was a tension in Cassandra’s movements, a tightness in her shoulders that betrayed her frustration. Na’la approached cautiously, glancing at the remaining stormtroopers who were rounding up the surviving insurgents for interrogation.

  “We have two survivors, my Lady,” Na’la reported, her voice steady but low. “Officer Kaldana is preparing them for questioning. No significant injuries on our side.”

  Cassandra’s gaze flicked toward her, sharp and precise. “Good. We’ll see what they know soon enough.”

  Na'la gave a small nod, but didn’t move. She hesitated, as if she had more to say but was weighing whether to speak. Cassandra sensed it, her amber eyes narrowing slightly.

  "Speak your mind, Na'la," Cassandra said coolly, already sensing the assistant’s concern.

  Na’la shifted slightly, then spoke. “The vision... in the plaza. It seemed to trouble you.”

  For a moment, Cassandra said nothing, the silence between them thick and heavy. She could have ignored the question, brushed it off as irrelevant. But Na’la was perceptive, and while Cassandra rarely allowed herself to show vulnerability, there was a strange bond between them—a loyalty, perhaps, born of shared purpose. Still, this was not something Cassandra was eager to admit.

  “It was nothing,” Cassandra said, her voice clipped, though she knew Na’la would recognize the evasion. “Just a distraction.”

  Na'la didn’t press further, though her expression said otherwise. She gave a small nod and turned away, leaving Cassandra alone with her thoughts.

  The sun had dipped below the horizon by the time they returned to the senator’s villa. The air had grown cooler, the distant hum of the city’s nightlife filtering through the quiet corridors. Inside the villa, everything was pristine, opulent—a world removed from the streets they had just fought through.

  Senator Yama'ii awaited them in the grand hall, her robes flowing behind her as she swept toward them. Her demeanor was as poised as ever, but Cassandra could sense the undercurrent of fear. Yama'ii knew that the Empire’s presence on her world was both a blessing and a threat. If she didn’t maintain control, it could be her downfall as well.

  “My Lady,” Yama'ii greeted, her voice sweet but strained. “I hope the situation in the city is...under control?”

  Cassandra barely looked at her as she strode past, her cloak swishing behind her. “For now. But your city is riddled with insurgents. We’ve dealt with some, but your failure to contain them has not gone unnoticed.”

  Yama'ii paled, her composure faltering. “I...I have done everything I can—”

  “Spare me your excuses,” Cassandra cut in sharply, her eyes narrowing. “You will maintain control, or I will do it for you. And if that happens, you’ll find the Emperor’s wrath is far less forgiving than mine.”

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  The senator’s lips trembled, but she bowed her head, muttering a quiet, “Yes, my Lady.”

  Cassandra swept into the villa’s inner chambers, leaving Yama'ii standing rigid and pale. Na’la followed closely, her fingers tapping on her datapad as she sorted through the day’s reports. They had moved quickly through the insurgents’ strongholds, but something about the attack still nagged at her. The timing, the coordination—it all seemed too convenient, too precise.

  “Na’la,” Cassandra said, breaking the silence as they entered their private quarters for the night, a spacious set of rooms reserved for Imperial dignitaries. “I want to know everything about the survivors. If there is any connection to the Rebellion or Jedi, we will uncover it.”

  Na'la nodded, but her thoughts remained on Cassandra’s earlier distraction. She knew better than to pry, but she couldn't ignore the feeling that something was changing in her master, something Cassandra wasn’t fully in control of.

  Later that evening, the villa had grown quiet, its hallways dimly lit by soft lamps casting long shadows on the marble floors. Cassandra sat alone in one of the reserved sitting areas, her legs crossed, her hands resting lightly on her knees. She was attempting to meditate again, to push through the noise in her mind and find clarity in the Dark Side.

  But no matter how hard she tried, the vision came again.

  The girl appeared, her white hair billowing softly in a phantom wind, her expression unreadable, her pale eyes fixed on Cassandra. This time, the vision felt stronger, more intense. The girl was no longer distant—she stood closer, her presence overwhelming. Cassandra tried to focus, tried to see beyond the vision’s haze, but the closer she got, the more the girl seemed to slip away, dissolving into the shadows.

  Cassandra’s breathing quickened, her concentration shattering. She gasped, breaking free from the vision, her chest heaving with frustration. The Dark Side swirled around her, feeding her anger, but it was cold comfort.

  She clenched her fists, standing abruptly as if motion could chase the vision away.

  In the corridor outside, Na’la had been walking toward Cassandra’s quarters when she heard the faint noise. She hesitated, debating whether to interrupt. Finally, she stepped forward, her hand hovering near the door panel. Before she could decide, the door slid open, revealing Cassandra standing in the center of the room, her face taut with barely concealed rage.

  “My Lady,” Na’la said cautiously, her lekku twitching slightly. “Is everything alright?”

  Cassandra’s eyes narrowed at the question. “Everything is under control, Na’la. Prepare the interrogation room. I want answers from those insurgents.”

  Na'la nodded quickly, sensing that now was not the time for further questions. She gave a respectful bow and hurried off to prepare the room. Cassandra watched her leave, her mind still racing with the remnants of the vision. The girl’s face lingered in her thoughts, unsettling her in ways she could not explain.

  But before she could dwell on it further, there was a soft knock on the door.

  Two figures stepped inside—identical twins, both young, their features sharp and delicate, their black hair tied back in intricate braids. They moved with an eerie synchronization, their footsteps silent as they approached. Each wore simple attire, but there was something strange about the way they carried themselves—something that made Cassandra’s instincts sharpen.

  One of the twins held a small box, her delicate fingers caressing its smooth surface. Cassandra’s eyes narrowed as she sensed the faintest tremor in the Force.

  "We were asked to bring this to you, my Lady," the twin said softly, her voice melodic, almost too sweet.

  The second twin stepped forward, opening the box to reveal a smooth stone, its surface glowing faintly in the dim light. Cassandra’s eyes locked onto it immediately—a kyber crystal.

  Her hand twitched toward her lightsaber, but she stopped herself, her mind already working. She could sense the tension in the room, the quiet undertone of Rebellion that lingered beneath the twins' serene expressions. They were not ordinary servants—they were hiding something.

  Cassandra smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "I know what you are," she said quietly, her voice dripping with malice. “You cannot hide for long..”

  The twins exchanged a glance, but said nothing. They bowed slightly, as if in deference, and backed out of the room without another word.

  As the door slid shut, Cassandra’s smile faded. The kyber crystal pulsed faintly in the box, a reminder that something darker was brewing here, something she was only beginning to uncover.

  And in the distance, the girl’s face haunted her thoughts once more.